ZTE has a trio of new phones that will make gamers happy, which it revealed at MWC 2026. The Nubia Neo 5 series takes some of the coolest features from the premium RedMagic 11 Pro (launched back in November) and packs them into budget phones -- though they won't be coming to the US any time soon.
Gaming phones are aimed at people who want the best performance, graphics and battery life from their handheld. These phones, aimed at mobile gamers, have always been niche devices, but many, like the RedMagic series and ASUS' ROG devices, have been pricey, high-end handsets with elite features. ZTE's Neo 5 phones are an attempt to introduce some of those cool perks at low enough costs to undercut or rival devices like the iPhone 17E or Google Pixel 10A. And as the RAM shortage could cause phone prices to rise this year (as we've already seen with the Galaxy S26 phones), consumers might look for cheaper options like the Neo 5 series.
The cream of ZTE's budget crop is the Neo 5 GT. Priced at 450 euros (roughly $430), it inherits most of the RedMagic 11 Pro's features. The most prominent is an internal cooling fan that, combined with the Neo 5 series' heat-absorbing layer, cools the phone's internals by 4 degrees Celsius, ZTE estimates. Fan ports are visible on either side of the phone near the volume and lock buttons, so it's safe to say the phone should be kept away from dust and water (ZTE hasn't released IP ratings for the Neo 5 GT).
The GT has a "gamer chic" look with LED lights. It has a 6,120-mAh battery and 80-watt charging and a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate; features more common in handsets twice the price. The phone also packs capacitive touch shoulder buttons with latency below 5.5 milliseconds.
The Nubia Neo 5. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The Nubia Neo 5 is the baseline model, which will retail for about 300 euros (roughly $350), with capacitive shoulder buttons and a cooling layer that ZTE estimates reduces internal temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius.
The Nubia Neo 5 Max -- note the lack of logo on the back to differentiate it from the standard Neo. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The step-up Neo 5 Max lives up to its name. For about 350 euros (roughly $415), it has a 7.5-inch display -- nearly as big as the 8-inch inner screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 -- and a battery with over 7,000 mAh.
With features that make them competitive with pricier phones, such as the Google Pixel 10A, the Neo 5 phones will appeal to anyone, especially mobile gamers. The Neo 5 and Neo 5 GT are expected to start selling in Europe in April, then later in parts of Latin America. The Neo 5 Max will reach the same regions around July, ZTE said. It's unclear if or when they'll be sold in the US.